[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7497 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7497
To establish a rural postsecondary and economic development grant
program.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 6, 2020
Ms. Stefanik (for herself, Mr. Harder of California, Mr. Guthrie, Mrs.
Bustos, Mr. Vela, and Mr. Long) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a rural postsecondary and economic development grant
program.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Success for Rural Students and
Communities Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. RURAL POSTSECONDARY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
Part Q of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1161q) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 862. RURAL POSTSECONDARY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are to--
``(1) increase enrollment and graduation rates of secondary
school graduates and nontraditional students from rural areas
at 2-year and 4-year institutions of higher education, their
articulation from 2-year degree programs into 4-year degree
programs, and their attainment of market-relevant credentials
and certificates;
``(2) ensure rural communities benefit from their students'
success by advancing rural economic development and cultivation
of a skilled local workforce with employment opportunities for
college graduates;
``(3) promote economic growth and development in the rural
United States through partnership grants to consortia of rural
serving institutions of higher education, local educational
agencies, and regional economic development entities;
``(4) foster innovation and development of effective
practices, identify and document effective practices for the
purpose of continuous quality improvement, and ensure that
additional rural areas benefit from innovations through
dissemination of practices that are most effective in rural
areas; and
``(5) foster elevated levels of investment in rural
students and communities by State, private sector, and
philanthropic partners.
``(b) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section:
``(1) Nontraditional student.--The term `nontraditional
student' means an individual who--
``(A) delays enrollment in an institution of higher
education by 3 or more years after secondary school
graduation;
``(B) attends an institution of higher education
part-time; or
``(C) attends an institution of higher education
and--
``(i) works full-time;
``(ii) is an independent student, as
defined in section 480;
``(iii) has 1 or more dependents other than
a spouse;
``(iv) is a single parent or is the primary
caregiver for a family member;
``(v) is aging out of foster care;
``(vi) has been involved in the juvenile
justice system or the adult criminal justice
system; or
``(vii) is in recovery from a substance use
disorder.
``(2) Regional economic development entity.--The term
`regional economic development entity' means an entity working
to promote economic development in, or employing residents of,
a rural area, which may include local boards (as defined in
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act),
Chambers of Commerce, and employers in the rural region covered
by the grant.
``(3) Rural area.--The term `rural area' means an area that
is defined, identified, or otherwise recognized as rural by a
governmental agency of the State in which the area is located.
``(4) Rural serving institution of higher education.--The
term `rural serving institution of higher education' means an
institution of higher education that serves rural areas.
``(c) Eligible Partnership.--
``(1) Eligible partnership.--A partnership eligible to
apply for a grant and carry out activities under this section
(referred to in this section as an `eligible partnership')
shall include partners representing not less than 3 of the
following types of organizations:
``(A) A local educational agency or educational
service agency (as such term is defined in section 8101
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965)
serving a rural area.
``(B) An institution of higher education.
``(C) A regional economic development entity.
``(D) A rural community-serving organization,
including a philanthropy, with demonstrated success
supporting rural students in accessing higher education
and attaining 2-year or 4-year degrees, including
supporting students articulating from a 2-year to a 4-
year college.
``(2) Optional partners.--Other organizations serving rural
students, families, or communities, including agencies of
Tribal, State, or local government, community action agencies,
or other non-governmental agencies, and local elected officials
may participate in the eligible partnership as optional
partners.
``(3) Lead applicant.--Any required partner in an eligible
partnership described in paragraph (1) may be designated by the
eligible partnership to serve as the lead applicant and submit
a competitive application on behalf of the eligible partnership
of which that partner entity is a member.
``(4) Limitation.--No more than 1 partner may submit a
grant application under this section on behalf of an eligible
partnership.
``(d) Grants Authorized.--
``(1) In general.--From amounts made available under
subsection (j), the Secretary may award grants, on a
competitive basis, to eligible partnerships to carry out the
activities described in subsection (f).
``(2) Duration.--A grant awarded under this section shall
be awarded for a period of not less than 5 years and not more
than 9 years.
``(3) Minimum grants.--A grant awarded under this section
shall be in an amount not less than $1,000,000.
``(e) Applications.--
``(1) In general.--Each eligible partnership desiring a
grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
``(2) Special considerations.--In awarding grants under
this section, the Secretary shall give special consideration to
applications that demonstrate the most potential and propose
the most promising and innovative approaches for--
``(A) increasing the number and percentage of
graduates from rural secondary schools who enroll in
and graduate from institutions of higher education;
``(B) increasing the number of market-relevant
credentials and certificates awarded to students in
rural communities;
``(C) meeting the employment needs of regional
employers;
``(D) strengthening the regional economy of a rural
area;
``(E) utilizing Labor Market Information data to
determine regional job growth opportunities and connect
that information to education and other partners; and
``(F) creating shared data systems accessible to
all partners.
``(f) Match.--As part of the application, each eligible partnership
applying for a grant under this section shall secure and document
commitments of matching funds, in cash or in kind, totaling not less
than 20 percent of the amount of grant funding that the eligible
partnership is requesting in the application. Matching funds may be
contributed from any non-Federal source, including a State, local,
private, nonprofit, or philanthropic source.
``(g) Use of Funds.--An eligible partnership that receives a grant
under this section shall use grant and matching funds to carry out not
less than 2 of the following 4 activities:
``(1) Improving postsecondary enrollment rates for rural
secondary school students by providing supports to students,
beginning as early as middle school, but in no case later than
grade 11, and continuing through completion of postsecondary
education. Such supports may include--
``(A) providing students and families with
counseling related to applying for postsecondary
education, and Federal and State financial assistance
for postsecondary education;
``(B) providing students at rural high schools, and
their families, with exposure and access to campuses,
courses, programs, and internships of institutions of
higher education, including covering the cost of
transportation to and from such institutions;
``(C) providing students of rural high schools
exposure and access to courses offering dual or
concurrent enrollment that will earn credits towards
postsecondary degrees, credentials, or certificates;
``(D) supporting early connectivity to regional
employment opportunities for rural students, including
early opportunities for career exploration and
exposure, expanding career counseling and opportunities
for work-based learning experiences, opportunities
available through career and technical education
schools, and designing and implementing college and
career pathways in secondary schools that align to
local labor market demands;
``(E) supporting the transition of students from
high school to postsecondary education;
``(F) supporting students in completing their
postsecondary degree or credential;
``(G) supporting the transition of students
articulating from 2-year degree programs to 4-year
degree programs; and
``(H) other initiatives that assist students and
families in developing interest in, applying for,
attending, and graduating from rural serving
institutions of higher education.
``(2) Increasing enrollment and completion rates of rural
nontraditional students in degree programs at institutions of
higher education, which may include--
``(A) programs to provide nontraditional students
with counseling related to applying for postsecondary
education, and Federal and State financial assistance
for postsecondary education;
``(B) community outreach initiatives to encourage
nontraditional students to enroll in an institution of
higher education;
``(C) programs to increase rural nontraditional
student persistence in and completion of postsecondary
education; or
``(D) programs to improve the enrollment of
nontraditional students in 2-year degree programs and
the transition of nontraditional students articulating
from 2-year degree programs to 4-year degree programs.
``(3) Creating or strengthening academic programs at rural
serving institutions of higher education to prepare graduates
to enter into high-need occupations in the regional and local
economies, and to provide additional career training to such
students in fields relevant to the regional economy. Such
activities may include--
``(A) developing and expanding work-based learning
opportunities, such as apprenticeships or paid
internships, including covering the cost of
transportation or the cost of internet access for
virtual opportunities;
``(B) establishing policies and processes for
assessing and awarding course credit for prior
learning;
``(C) developing and expanding programs that
accelerate learning and recognized postsecondary
credential attainment, including competency-based
education, corequisite remediation, and other
strategies for acceleration;
``(D) developing and expanding efficient career
pathways to credentials, including the development of
stackable credentials and integrated education and
training strategies;
``(E) working with local boards on the use of labor
market information for making program decisions; or
``(F) engaging employers in the development of
programs and curricula.
``(4) Generating local and regional economic development
that creates employment opportunities for rural students with
postsecondary degrees, which may include--
``(A) promoting and incentivizing remote work
opportunities to connect local talent with non-local
employers;
``(B) supporting entrepreneurship as a part of
career pathways in secondary school and postsecondary
academic and career programs;
``(C) developing strategies to address
transportation and internet connectivity gaps that
create barriers to employment opportunities in rural
areas;
``(D) designing and implementing marketing efforts
to attract employers and talent to the region or
community; or
``(E) developing strategies to identify start-up
funding for local entrepreneurs.
``(h) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary may reserve not more
than 5 percent of funds authorized to be appropriated to carry out this
section to provide technical assistance to assist eligible partnerships
in preparing and submitting successful applications, and to support
grantees in the successful implementation of grant awards under this
section.
``(i) Research, Evaluation, and Dissemination of Promising
Practices.--
``(1) Ongoing data collection and research.--The Secretary
shall reserve not less than 10 percent of the amount
appropriated to carry out this section for the purpose of--
``(A) ongoing data collection and research to--
``(i) identify innovative practices that
improve attainment of market-relevant
credentials, certificates, and degrees for
rural students; or
``(ii) enhance rural economic development
that results in employment opportunities for
graduates of postsecondary education in rural
areas; and
``(B) dissemination of the findings related to that
data collection and research on a regular basis
throughout the duration of the grant period.
``(2) Data collection and research by grantees.--At the
Secretary's discretion, data collection and research under this
subsection may be conducted by eligible partnerships.
``(3) Purpose; prohibited use.--
``(A) In general.--The purpose of data collection
and research under this subsection shall be to
identify, document, and disseminate effective practices
throughout the duration of the grant period in order to
support continuous quality improvement of programs
funded under this section.
``(B) Prohibited use.--To incentivize innovation,
experimentation, and collaboration, findings that
result from data collection and research under this
subsection shall not be used for the purpose of denying
subsequent applications for Federal funds.
``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2021
and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.''.
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